Craig Albernaz was struck in the face by a foul ball while standing in the Orioles dugout during Baltimore’s 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday.
The scary moment occurred in the fifth inning when O’s second baseman Jeremiah Jackson sent a screaming foul ball into his team’s dugout and struck the Orioles’ manager on the side of the face with the ball as he was standing at the top of the tunnel to the clubhouse at Camden Yards.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was hit in the face by a foul ball on Monday. @TalkinBaseball/X
Albernaz was taken down into the clubhouse and evaluated by the medical staff.
“Just as a precaution right now, he is going to get scanned, and we’ll have more information tomorrow,” Ecker said.
“We sit there every game and we’re all kind of vulnerable to it,” he added. “When it happens, everyone feels for him.”
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is hit in the face by a foul ball on Monday. @TalkinBaseball/X
Albernaz did eventually return to the dugout in the sixth inning, the MASN broadcast showed.
A red mark was clearly visible on his face when he was shown on the broadcast and he eventually left the dugout again and did not return.
“The fact he didn’t go to the ground shows how tough of an SOB he is. And the fact he wanted to come back to the dugout, he’s got a big set of balls on him,” Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers said, per the Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka.
The Orioles had been trailing 4-1 at the time that Albernaz was hit with the foul ball.
Baltimore was down 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, when the Orioles battled back with five runs in the sixth.
Jackson capped it off with a grand slam to cut the O’s deficit to just one, with the blast coming just in time for Albernaz to see when he briefly returned to the dugout.
Pete Alonso’s two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh gave the Orioles an 8-7 lead and Jackson hit a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth to extend the advantage.
The Yankees announced they have optioned right-handed reliever Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The move came after New York snapped its five-game losing streak with an 11-10 walk-off win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in The Bronx, but in a game that saw the Yankees use five arms out of the bullpen amid a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
A corresponding move was not immediately announced, but the club has several relievers on the 40-man roster who still have options, including Kervin Castro, Yerry De los Santos,and Angel Chivilli.
Against the Angels, Bird entered with a runner on first base and two gone in the top of the sixth inning. But after allowing a bloop single to center, he left a 3-2 sweeper out and over the plate to Mike Trout, and the future Hall of Famer jumped all over it for a 421-foot, game-tying three-run home run.
Bird got out of the frame and started the seventh with a strikeout, but he allowed a hard-hit single and a hard-hit double, setting a game-tying sac fly to the final batter he faced, erasing the lead Aaron Judge briefly provided with his second home run of the night.
Bird has really struggled since coming over to the Yanks in a trade last season with the Colorado Rockies. He made just three appearances after the trade, surrendering seven runs (six earned) on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 2.0 innings before he was optioned to Triple-A.
Through eight appearances this season, he's allowed six runs on nine hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in 7.0 innings and has once again been sent to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media after the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
What happens when you solve a problem with another problem?
Adam Silver and the NBA’s campaign to abolish the practice of tanking has creased another wrinkle, as the newest proposal to cure professional basketball of its blood-sucking parasite has been revealed to the public. Their solution? Eliminate the incentive to tank by completely erasing the advantage of finishing in last place and rewarding those who won just a few more games.
The three worst records in the NBA will all be given decreased lottery odds and a worse chance at receiving the number-one overall pick compared to teams 4-10 in the lottery order. This eliminates any incentive to dive to the bottom of the standings and gives the league’s worst teams no reason to tank, especially in the late season (unless you’re just one or two spots above that 4-10 range, I suppose).
It’s innovative and relatively straightforward (I’d certainly prefer to commit this rule to memory than other suggestions like taking an average of the last two seasons’ records, tracking draft credits, or other dizzying proposals). Tanking is a race for last place, and by removing all incentive to be in the bottom three, you remove all incentive to tank at all. Problem solved!
…Not quite.
If this fix actually accomplishes its goal of eliminating tanking, the NBA will be plagued with a new problem of its own creation.
Assuming a future where tanking no longer exists, the altered lottery odds could keep the NBA’s worst teams at the bottom for years. Franchises with little free agency appeal and a smaller bank account will be in the bottom four, not by choice, but by nature. They didn’t fall to the bottom on purpose — tanking is over.
These are the teams that need a Cooper Flagg, an AJ Dybantsa, a Darryn Peterson, or a Cameron Boozer. These are the teams that must build a competitive team through the draft. These are the teams that, under this proposed rule change, are systematically disadvantaged from ever drafting a player capable of changing their luck.
If the bottom four teams are, in fact, the worst four teams, why are they being penalized?
Tanking isn’t the disease; it’s a symptom. We’re treating a papercut via amputation — sure, my finger doesn’t hurt anymore, but now I don’t have a hand. What have we fixed?
The NBA Draft was originally implemented with one purpose in mind: to prevent bad teams from staying bad and good teams from perpetual dominance. The inverted order makes perfect sense for this reason: give the worst teams good players, and give the best teams the leftovers. For the sake of competition and parity, this system works perfectly.
When one player’s impact is minimal, like in the MLB and NFL, tanking isn’t a very common practice. In the NBA this season, nearly one-third of the league was actively sabotaging their season for the opportunity of drafting a top player.
The NBA Draft Lottery accelerates the tanking problem, giving teams 1-14 in the order a chance at lucking into the number-one overall pick, and we’ve seen teams jump up 10 and 9 spots to the number-one pick in consecutive years.
That’s why teams want to tank, even if they’re not at the bottom of the standings; so long as you’re in the lottery, you have a chance at a franchise-changing superstar.
I propose that the draft isn’t the problem at all — the lottery is.
Eliminate the lottery, and instead return to the straightforward inverse order according to the teams’ records. You’ll still see teams 1 through 3 make a desperate attempt to tank their way to the number one pick, or to simply retain their draft position, but what about teams 6-14?
Do you really think that this year’s Golden State Warriors or Miami Heat would be desperately dropping games for the sake of getting the 11th pick instead of the 12th?
Would Washington or Indiana spend year after year dive-bombing the standings ladder if they already got their franchise star after one year of misery? There would be no need to after just one or two seasons, right? But instead, you have teams like Washington, Utah, Charlotte, and Brooklyn who have spent four-plus years tanking away, only for the odds to fall flat and encourage another season of deliberate losing.
By giving half the league a chance of leapfrogging the draft order if the ping pong balls fall their way, you give half the league a reason to tank for every percentage point. You’re not digging deep enough, Adam Silver, and you won’t bring in more fans by further complicating the sport.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
1. It’s interesting to consider who will start at center and how Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will divvy out minutes there without Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery).
Adem Bona made several brilliant, high-flying defensive plays early in the Sixers’ Oct. 27 win over Orlando. He picked up two quick fouls, though. Bona started the Sixers’ last three games but played less than Andre Drummond every time. It would not qualify as a major surprise if Nurse prefers to start Drummond for this matchup. Drummond’s physicality and rebounding may very well appeal to Nurse against a big Orlando team that’s good on the glass.
Starting Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is somewhat of a stretch five, although that doesn’t appear like it should be a significant factor in how the Sixers handle their center minutes. Carter could always heat up, but he’s shot just 31.9 percent from three-point range this season on 2.9 attempts per game. Goga Bitadze will play behind Carter. He knows his role well as a rim protector and rebounder who can chip in double-figure scoring nights on occasion.
2. Orlando’s size and strength can be overwhelming. One place that could hurt the Sixers is when the Magic attack before the defense is set. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will be happy to go right to the rim against Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe or any smaller defender they see in transition.
The Sixers’ transition defense was again a weakness this year. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers’ opponents added 3.4 points per 100 possessions through transition play, which ranked 25th in the NBA.
3. Wagner, Banchero and the Magic aren’t shy about using their size to help earn trips to the foul line. Orlando led the league in free throw rate, per Cleaning the Glass.
Beyond all the free throws, the Magic’s physical style can contribute to some chippy moments. There were several during the regular-season series, including a tense scene back on Nov. 25 when Drummond took a boxer’s stance as he exchanged words with Carter, a slew of technical fouls got dished out, and Jalen Suggs was ejected for his part in the dust-up.
4. The Sixers’ home and road records were nearly identical — 23-18 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, 22-19 away from Philadelphia.
There’s still no doubt the players prefer to have home-court advantage. Sixers fans can get awfully loud and they’ll be fired up for a high-stakes game.
“Super excited about it,” Paul George said Sunday after the Sixers beat the Bucks in their season finale. “Obviously, I’ve never experienced a playoff environment here, but I’m looking forward to it with the intensity, the passion. With the fans here, I’m sure it’s going to be a special environment and I’m looking forward to playing in it.”
5. For the Sixers’ defense, we imagine a successful game would be a combination of contested Magic jumpers and good gambles.
The Sixers’ zone defense was very effective in the second half of their Jan. 9 road victory over the Magic. Orlando isn’t a team full of non-shooters, but any defensive scheme that can lead the Magic to fire up three-pointers and do less damage inside is likely worth using. After adding Desmond Bane last summer, the Magic improved their team three-point percentage from 30th in the NBA last season (31.8 percent) … to 27th (34.3 percent).
Even when they play zone, the Sixers need to be active and keep trying to force turnovers. That doesn’t mean selling out for steals and abandoning shooters in the corners, but the Sixers’ defense is best when players poke at the ball, spring the odd trap and disrupt the opponent’s rhythm.
6. One of the Sixers’ best defensive tools should be the handful of switchable wing/forward defenders they can employ against Banchero and Wagner.
Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow all meet that description. Jabari Walker’s another name who might be in the mix. Of all the players Walker defended this season, he spent the second-most time on Banchero. Again, Banchero is a big forward — listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds — so it’s perfectly reasonable to have size in mind when looking at how to guard him.
7. We presume the Sixers will remain star-powered and that Maxey and Edgecombe will both rarely rest.
The team has obvious deficiencies with its depth. For instance, Quentin Grimes is the one true bench guard if you don’t count little-used 40-year-old Kyle Lowry.
On a sunnier note, the Sixers have several non-stars who have shown they can deliver game-winning performances. Grimes can catch fire. Justin Edwards won’t hesitate to take important threes and he’s capable of knocking them down. Barlow can grab a vital offensive rebound, stop a star in isolation or slip free with a savvy cut.
Those sorts of players have all had extended opportunities to fine-tune their roles and build confidence through the season.
“I think the overall assessment is, as choppy as it was injury-wise again, I’m glad we were able to handle that a lot better,” Nurse said. “A lot of guys improved and a lot of guys filled in. There were big moments for almost everybody. … I’m pretty proud of them for hanging in there, battling through the adversity and all that kind of stuff.
“I think we’ve got a lot of ceiling to go yet. I think there’s a lot, so hopefully we’ll be able to play a bunch of games and keep improving.”
9. The Magic and Sixers have met twice before in the postseason.
The Sixers notched a 3-1 first-round series win in 1999. After losing Game 2 by a 79-68 score, the Sixers returned home. Allen Iverson snagged 10 steals in Game 2 (along with 33 points, five assists and two blocks). He still holds the NBA’s single-game playoff steals record.
Orlando earned a six-game series victory over the Sixers in Round 1 of the 2009 playoffs. Games 1, 3 and 4 all came down to the final seconds and featured game-winners from Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Hedo Turkoglu.
10. At this point, there’s almost nothing about VJ Edgecombe that alerts you to the fact he’s a 20-year-old rookie.
“I would say probably just the pace of the game slowing down for me,” Edgecombe said Sunday. “It’s more mental than physical. Mentally, I would say I was able to soak it all up. The game wasn’t going too fast.
“It slowed down for me, so I would say it’s just been more mental and that’s where I’ve grown the most.”
The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night at the United Center. Buffalo, which came in with a chance to win the Atlantic Division, had a lot to play for against a Blackhawks team that already locked into the second-best draft lottery odds.
The Blackhawks, as they've often done this season, got themselves out to an early lead. While short-handed, Ilya Mikheyev set up Ryan Greene for his second goal in as many games.
The ice was chippy, and it was hard for anyone on either team to control a hard pass or shoot with a one-time shot. There were even multiple players losing an edge throughout.
Before the first period ended, however, the Sabres found a way to overcome that. At 19:02, Josh Norris sniped one past Spencer Knight to even things up.
In the middle frame, the Sabres took over the ice. They outshot the Blackhawks 12-4, and one of them went in courtesy of Tage Thompson. His 39th goal of the season put the Sabres ahead for good.
The Sabres scored three more goals in the third period. Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson's second, and Ryan McLeod made it 5-1. That score would hold as the final.
For Thompson, he now has 40 on the season to go with his first playoff berth with Buffalo and his Olympic Gold Medal that he won with Team USA back in February.
This win, combined with the Tampa Bay Lightning failing to earn a regulation win (they beat the Detroit Red Wings in overtime), means the Sabres won the Atlantic Division. The turnaround that this team has had since the beginning of December will be remembered for a long time.
For Chicago, when it comes to clean passes, smart decisions, line changes, and power play efficiency, this was one of the sloppiest games that the Blackhawks have played in the Connor Bedard era.
Back when there were a handful of games remaining, Jeff Blashill said he wanted to give the fans a reason to believe in the future. The exact opposite has happened since. They are trending toward leaving for the summer with a whimper.
After the game ended, both Wyatt Kaiser and Ryan Donato commented on hearing boos from their own fanbase, both admitting that it was probably warranted, but less than fun. There is still one more chance for them to have a nice game and go out feeling better.
The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action on Wednesday night at the United Center. They will close out the 2025-26 season with a match against the San Jose Sharks.
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BATON ROUGE, La. — All-Big 12 point guard Jada Williams, who was among nine Iowa State players to enter the transfer portal, will play next season at LSU.
Coach Kim Mulkey on Monday announced the addition of Williams, who averaged 15.3 points and led the Big 12 with 7.7 assists per game in her only season at Iowa State after two years at Arizona.
“Jada is a veteran point guard who is more than ready to run the show here in Baton Rouge,” Mulkey said. “She has the ability to create opportunities for teammates but also score at all three levels. Jada plays with an infectious energy that Tiger fans will love.”
Williams ranks among the top earners for name, image and likeness in women’s college basketball and is one the most popular on social media platforms. She has nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram, more than 500,000 on TikTok and almost 18,000 on X (Twitter).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 13: Bradly Nadeau #29 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his first period goal against the Philadelphia Flyers with Charles Alexis Legault #62, Jesperi Kotkaniemi #82, and Nikolaj Ehlers #27 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2 in a shootout on Monday night but the point earned guaranteed them the top spot in the Eastern Conference and home ice for the first three rounds of the playoffs.
The Canes will face either the Ottawa Senators or the Boston Bruins, depending upon the outcome of future games.
The win clinched a playoff spot for the Flyers, who will face the Penguins in the first round.
The Canes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on just six shots on goal, which is a reversal of how periods usually go for this team.
Bradly Nadeau, who spent most of the season in the AHL, opened the scoring with a pretty shot off a perfect pass by Nikolaj Ehlers. It was Nadeau’s third goal of the season while playing for Carolina.
Ehlers would score his 25th a bit later in the period on a powerplay opportunity. That added to his career best 70 points for the season.
The Flyers scored twice in the second to tie things up and both teams skated the third without benefit of a goal.
During overtime, Jackson Blake made a beautiful move and hit the post but again neither team could score and the game went to a shootout.
The Canes could not light the lamp on four chances as Blake, Nadeau, Miller, and Nikishin each failed to score.
Tyson Foerster notched the game-winner for the home team.
The Hurricanes close their regular season and will face the Islanders on Tuesday night. They will not hold a morning skate on Tuesday morning.
Notes:
Nikishin had 23:38 of ice time. He had four hits and a team high three blocked shots.
Apr 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) looks on as he looses his glove attempting to field a ground ball against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The Red Sox lost to the Twins 11-6 on Monday, a Crochet Day. They were down 11-0 before the second inning was over and got some runs after that, but it was plenty over by then. It was bad. It was very bad. It was abysmal. The end.
All sorts of problems were on display for the Yankees: infield defense that has been under the microscope again underwhelmed; a couple of misplays extended an inning that would not end; Will Warren could not overcome the problems behind him and could not put batters away; a bullpen that had been spotty was far worse than that and coughed up lead after lead.
But these issues become minimized when the Yankees offense hums and Aaron Judge destroys baseballs.
In an entertaining Monday matchup that pitted the past two Team USA World Baseball Classic captains against each other, Judge and Mike Trout put on a show for eight innings before Judge’s co-stars stole the spotlight in the ninth.
Trent Grisham — who did not even start yet launched his first two home runs of the season — stepped into a two-run home run to tie the game in the ninth before the Yankees manufactured the game-winner, José Caballero doubling, stealing third and scoring on a walk-off wild pitch to claim an entertaining and back-and-forth 11-10 victory over the Angels in front of 35,789 in The Bronx.
JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“Maybe it was good to have a game like that where it was a little messy,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees (9-7) snapped a five-game skid. “The offense was able to really pick up what’s been excellent pitching for us so far.”
The Yankees outhit their other issues, their offense awakening in the New York heat and against Angels pitching. It took five innings for the Yankees to score seven runs — or more runs than they had scored in each of their previous seven games.
Because of their other problems and because of Trout, they needed to keep adding on.
It was Trout — whose bid for a grand slam died a few feet short earlier in the game — who answered a three-run shot from Grisham in the fifth by smoking his own three-run home run to tie it 7-7 in the sixth.
A few minutes later, Judge crushed his second home run of the game to left, a bullet that might have dented the pole if angled a few feet to the left, giving the Yankees another lead that they would not hold.
Trent Grisham #12, getting high-fives in the dugout after hitting a 3-run homer in the 5th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They already had blown a 4-0 lead after three innings — because the Angels scored four unearned runs against Warren, done in by an inability to finish off hitters and an error from Caballero plus a play Paul Goldschmidt normally makes — and a 7-4 edge after five innings because of Trout’s first homer.
What was one more lead to blow, this one 8-7 after the sixth?
The Angels seized control in the seventh and eighth — in the former, two hits and a sacrifice fly off Jake Bird tied the game, before Trout victimized Camilo Doval by demolishing his second homer of the night, a two-run, 445-foot dagger that banked into the visiting bullpen — which made the Yankees reach for their remaining ammunition in the ninth.
“A bunch of big homers could really get you down as a team,” said Grisham, who sat against opposing lefty Yusei Kikuchi, entered in the fifth and authored his best game of the season. “Staying in there and fight and staying in it the whole time was good to see.”
Aaron Judge reacts along with the bench after New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham hits a three-run homer in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, USA, Monday, April 13, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTTrent Grisham is greeted by New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton after he scores on his three-run homer in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, USA, Monday, April 13, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
What might have been the most backbreaking loss of the season became arguably the most inspired. Against closer Jordan Romano, who entered with a 0.00 ERA, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled before Grisham — who entered the game hitting .133 but undeterred because of the strength of his at-bats — saw a 3-1 slider and punished it to right to flip the game.
“To go out there and get some results and put the ball in the seats in some big spots obviously was huge,” Boone said of Grisham, who then watched Caballero — the reigning American League steals leader — create havoc, aided by a nine-pitch at-bat from Ryan McMahon in which eight fastballs were followed by one slider, which slid all the way to the backstop and prompted a subdued Yankees celebration around the plate.
The defensive misplays, lack of length from Warren and, most notably, the 5 ¹/₃ innings of six-run ball from the Yankees bullpen could be forgotten for the time being.
So could that five-game losing streak.
“Every good team goes through at least two big losing streaks,” Judge said. “Hopefully we can get this one out of the way and hopefully try to avoid the other one. But it’s going to come, and you can’t ride the roller coaster.”
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammates after scoring off a wild pitch in the ninth inning to win the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, April 13, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Mike Trout is a living legend of the game. His true prime ended before COVID-19 ravaged the world, due to a mountain of injuries costing not only him of accumulating the stats that would make him an inner-circle Hall of Famer, but robbing us fans of watching his greatness more.
It makes it all the more frustrating that he’s spent his career in the shadows of Anaheim, playing just three playoff games in his decade-and-a-half in the league. Even as it’s been seven years since his last truly great season, we see glimpses every so often of the player who once ruled the world.
Tonight, Trout hit two clutch home runs that first tied the game at seven and then gave the Angels the lead, the 407th and 408th bombs of his career (moving past Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer Duke Snider). He went shot-for-shot with the current gold standard, Aaron Judge, in a memorable back-and-forth that you only hear about in legend. He even made a great catch to rob Randal Grichuk of extra bases, showing he’s all the way back in center field. This was vintage Mike Trout.
And yet, as it happens over and over again, the Angels found a way to lose. As the ancient scrolls dictate, “Mike Trout hits two home runs and makes a run-saving catch, while Josh Lowe did something that hasn’t been done since Tungsten Arm O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Angels get walked off by the Yankees, 11-10.”
Will Warren got things started with a 1-2-3 first inning against the top of the Angels’ order, giving the offense the opportunity to strike first. Paul Goldschmidt did his usual lefty-killer things with a leadoff double against Yusei Kikuchi to bring up the slumbering captain. It’s impossible to know in the moment when a player starts to figure it out, but after homering in his last at-bat on Sunday, it was a good sign to see Judge identify a 2-0 changeup that went right down Broadway and obliterate it into the left-field bleachers to open the scoring.
That’s been the problem for Judge in the early going, not swinging enough at pitches that he’s historically done a lot of damage on, but he swung at that one, and it landed 456 feet away to quickly jump on Kikuchi, who’s had success in the past against the Yankees. Amusingly, it tied him for 82nd on the all-time home run list with … Goldschmidt, the man who scored ahead of him on dinger no. 373.
Warren gave the Yankees a shutdown inning in the second, pitching around a two-out hit-by-pitch of Jo Adell. In the bottom half of the inning, Grichuk worked a good at-bat to finally get on base of his own volition and set up José Caballero, who crushed a similarly hanging changeup down the pipe for a two-run homer of his own to make it 4-0.
Kikuchi was really laboring, and his defense wasn’t helping. After walking Austin Wells, he seemed to have gotten a routine 5-4-3 double play ball out of Judge, but Yoan Moncada booted it. A walk to Giancarlo Stanton loaded the bases for Amed Rosario, who put a charge into a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded, but it resulted in a barreled fly out into Trout’s glove in center field.
It was more of the same in the third for Warren, as he tore up the bottom of the Angels’ order with his entire arsenal. Kikuchi finally put up a zero in the bottom half, but was still allowing hard contact. Grichuk was once again robbed of his first Yankee hit by Trout in center. It wasn’t quite going to be a home run, but it would’ve been in 22 ballparks.
The fourth is where things fell apart. Warren was cruising, but a routine groundball by Trout was booted by Caballero, and the wheels slowly fell off. Goldschmidt had a chance to turn a 1-6-3 double play a few pitches later, but muffed it and settled for a 3-unassisted. Jorge Soler and Adell put up good at-bats that ended in RBI hits to suddenly get the Angels on the board, but there were still two outs and Josh Lowe at the plate. Well, what if I told you that a guy with bad whiff and strikeout rates put together an 11-pitch at-bat and fouled off 3-4 excellent putaway pitches by Warren? Not great.
And then it got worse. Logan O’Hoppe put a good swing on a sinker below the zone for an RBI single to chase a laboring Warren, who exited with zero earned runs allowed. Fernando Cruz was tasked with putting out the fire and he certainly did not, walking back-to-back batters to tie the game before giving up a long flyout to center field to Trout. At least the Yanks got some luck back, right?
Suddenly, in a tie game, the Yankees only got a Goldschmidt walk in the fourth, but it did chase Kikuchi midway through. Tim Hill got the ball for the fifth and it looked like it was happening again, as the usual groundball specialist was getting groundballs, but they kept finding holes. Suddenly in a precarious spot, he induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play out of Adell.
Stanton led off the fifth with an absolute rope of a double that just missed being a home run to center field (110.5 mph and a homer in 17 ballparks!). We then saw Aaron Boone aggressively deploy his bench against Shaun Anderson, going to both Ben Rice and Trent Grisham in place of Rosario and Grichuk. Rice was able to work a walk, and after Jazz Chisholm Jr. made contact on a groundout that worked like a bunt, Grisham porched his first extra-base hit of the season for a big go-ahead home run to make it 7-4.
Of course, it can never be that easy. Hill got the first two outs of the inning, but gave up a sawed-off single to Adam Frazier that prompted Boone to go to Jake Bird.
It started well, as Bird jumped ahead of Zach Neto and got him to chase a 1-2 sweeper in the other batter’s box… the problem was that the young star shortstop managed to flick it into center field for a hit, which brought up a three-time MVP, who patiently waited for a pitch to hit until Bird served one up on 3-2 for a game-tying homer.
Anderson was still somehow pitching for the Angels in the bottom of the sixth and the managerial novice of Kurt Suzuki showed in a big way. After getting Ryan McMahon to roll one over for an out, he faced Judge once again, and the Yankees’ captain once again obliterated a changeup to deep left field for his second home run of the game, putting the Yankees back in front, 8-7 — and passing his pal Goldschmidt on the all-time leaderboard with no. 374.
Stanton finally chased Anderson with a single to left field, bringing on Mitch Farris. Rice singled to right field to put runners on the corners with two out, but the young lefty was able to strike out Chisholm to end the threat.
MLB games nowadays last about two hours and 40 minutes, and we reached this mark at the top of the seventh. Bird stayed on to start the inning and, after striking out the leadoff hitter, gave up a single, double, and game-tying sac fly to Lowe before Boone pulled the plug and asked Camilo Doval to strand the tying run at third, which he was able to do.
Farris stayed out there after the seventh-inning stretch and gave up a two-out single to Wells, but left him on. Doval started the eighth, as Boone desperately looked for someone to step up, and he did not. With one on and one out, Doval got stuck in a 3-2 count against Trout, and the future Hall of Famer obliterated his second homer of the game to give the Angels their first lead, 10-8.
The vibe was dejected, from the fans to the players to everyone involved. Drew Pomeranz pitched around a Bellinger single in the eighth and Paul Blackburn finally produced a 1-2-3 ninth, but the Yankees were down to their final three outs, facing an old foe, Jordan Romano.
Romano’s career has fallen on hard times since his run as Toronto’s closer. After a truly terrible stint with the Phillies, he’s now the closer for the Angels, and he’s been off to a good start this year. That said, he has bad, bad memories against the Yankees and especially in this ballpark. Those demons needed to be exorcised.
But not today. Chisholm led off with a single to give Grisham another at-bat, and the Big Sleep didn’t miss. The bad luck he’s hit into to start 2026 faded away as he smashed his second clutch home run of the night to improbably tie this game at 10.
Normally, you’d be content with that and be ready for David Bednar in extras, but the Yankees weren’t done. Caballero smoked a double down the left-field line, Wells worked a gritty walk, and up stepped the pariah of the early season: Ryan McMahon. As much as his numbers are still brutal, it does feel like his swings and at-bats are slowly improving, and this was his masterpiece.
Foul ball, ball, called strike that he cleverly overturned with ABS, called strike. With a 2-2 count, he fouled off back-to-back tough pitches, fought off a center-cut fastball, and took ball three low. With a full count and the winning run on third, the strikeout-prone McMahon stared down a slider in the dirt that trickled away from Logan O’Hoppe, allowing the winning run to score to complete the wildest game of the young season.
Somehow, these two teams will pick themselves up after this three-hour, 36-minute marathon and continue this four-game set tomorrow at 7:05 pm EST. It’s Ryan Weathers, hoping for some of this run support, up against left-hander Reid Detmers on YES. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to lie down.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period, including an empty-netter with 1:45 remaining, to reach 44 goals on the season and the San Jose Sharks beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Monday night to end a 15-game losing streak in the series.
With the Predators loss, the idle Anaheim Ducks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2018.
Later Monday, the Sharks and Predators were both eliminated from the playoffs after the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken. San Jose missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.
Celebrini’s 30th multi-point game of the season moved him into a tie with Owen Nolan (1999-00) and Patrick Marleau (2009-10) for second-most by a Shark in a single season — only trailing Jonathan Cheechoo’s 56 in 2005-06.
Igor Chernyshov netted his third goal in the past two games on a power play to open the scoring for the Sharks.
It was the longest skid for the Sharks against one opponent and had been Nashville’s longest winning streak against one opponent.
Luke Evangelista scored both goals for the Predators to reach 12 on the season.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots in the win for the Sharks. Justus Annunen had 20 saves for the Predators.
Up next
Sharks: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
Predators: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Michael Porter Jr. is the best player on the rebuilding Nets, but also their biggest question.
He’s the only Net with a ring or to have played at an All-Star level. But at 27 and on an expiring deal, do they extend him this summer or deal him?
What Nets GM Sean Marks wants is a mystery. For Porter himself, not so much.
“If it was up to me, I’d love to sign an extension with this franchise,” said Porter. “I feel like we mesh. We have great vibes, great energy in the locker room, and to be a part of something that’s building in a positive way, a positive momentum, that’d be awesome. I’d love to spend many years in Brooklyn, make this my home and build and watch this franchise take off, because we saw glimpses of it this year.
“There was a lot of positives. Front office-wise, they have the ability to make some moves and make us even better. If the goal is to win, which we all know it is, then I’d love to make this my home, and that’d definitely be a cool thing for sure.”
Nets center Nic Claxton (l.), Michael Porter Jr. (c.) and Day’ron Sharpe look on during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Porter joined Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic and Jaylen Brown as the only players to average 24 points and seven rebounds this season, even after a slow finish and a hamstring injury.
“Once All-Star break happened and I realized I wasn’t an All-Star, I had a little slippage in my focus, in my preparation,” said Porter. “That can’t happen regardless of what’s going on with the team and the record.”
Still, Porter has made known his desire to stick around. Marks has been more coy.
After trades selling high on Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, Marks could deal Porter to a contender in need of shooting.
“We spoke a little bit in the exit interview, me and Andy [Birdsong, assistant GM]. And me and Sean had a phone call,” said Porter. “But my job is to just make it clear I want to be here and let those guys know. And from there, it’s on them, whatever’s best for the franchise. Either way, they can let me know what’s going on or not. I have no hard feelings.
“I always feel grateful and blessed to be given an opportunity to play for a lot of money. And I think that Sean and them will be transparent with me. But I don’t think they owe me that. Obviously as a player I would appreciate it, and I’d like to know what they’re thinking. But things happen quick in the NBA; deals come up and things move pretty fast. So just got to take it in stride and see what happens.”
Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets goes up for a shot as Anthony Gill #16 of the Washington Wizards defends during the first half. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Porter is on an expiring $40.8 million deal, and on July 6 becomes eligible for an extension of up to four years and $234 million. The price will certainly be lower, but will he get signed at all?
“[In] the summer, there’s going to be a lot of those discussions,” said Marks. “Whether it’s with Michael, there’s a variety of decisions we have to make with a variety of our players.”
Cap expert Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron mentioned a four-year, $194 million extension, but suggested the Nets could get Porter for less. He’d earlier opined four years, $160 million.
Both Gozlan and ESPN Insider Bobby Marks said the Nets could use some of their $30 million in cap space to renegotiate and extend Porter, giving him a raise next season and then up to a 40% pay cut in the first year of the extension.
Gozlan suggested raising him to the 30 percent max of $49.5 million, then give him a smaller $30 million cap hit in the subsequent season. That would both help the Nets’ team-building and boost his trade value.
“I don’t think anybody questioned whether he could shoot, but could he be a No. 1 option? And for us, he’s the No. 1 option,” said Marks. “I just enjoyed the person, I enjoyed being around him. He’s a fun-loving guy, he’s curious.”
Marks gave only a sly nod to Porter’s podcast, “Curious Mike.” He gave even less on his summer plans.
Apr 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) reacts after hitting a two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
After losing by 12 runs last night, the Guardians destroyed a decent team tonight in beating the Cardinals 9-3.
We are still getting to know this team, but some exciting trends are emerging:
-Gavin Williams can have an off night without his good stuff and still only give up 2 runs in five innings.
-The bullpen looked solid. Hunter Gaddis,.in his return to the roster in place of Kolby Allard gave up a BABIP run. Erik Sabrowski was ridiculous again. Tim Herrin wanted to play with his food again, but emerged triumphant. And Cade Smith was Cade Smith.
-Is Angel Martinez the corner outfielder of our dreams to pair with Chase DeLauter, the corner outfielder beyond our wildest dreams? My column: …in any case, Martinez has started this season with a 162 wRC+. Most excitingly, he had a 234 wRC+ entering tonight off of RHP’s and we KNOW he can hit LHP, as he did tonight, hitting a homer in the first inning:
-Juan Brito had a great at-bat in the 8th, Daniel Schneemann got a huge hit in the fourth, and David Fry finally put a good game together at the plate.
This is such a fun team. Fun enough where last night’s clunker didn’t bother me and I was excited to watch them play again tonight.tonight. Now to try to make it through to tomorrow night’s episode of Guardians 2026.
Oh, to top it all off- GEORGE VALERA IS BACK! (No offense, CJ Kayfus, see you soon). The Guardians are now 10-7.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Theo Lindstein scored and the St. Louis Blues overcame a two-goal deficit and beat the Minnesota Wild 6-3 on Monday night.
Lindstein scored on a backhand shot with 3:19 remaining in the second period to put the Blues up 4-3. Jonathan Drouin and Dalibor Dvorsky each had an assist on the goal.
Pavel Buchnevich scored the 200th goal of his NHL career and Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, Otto Stenberg and Colton Parayko added goals for the Blues.
Parayko's goal was his 81st and he moved into fourth in franchise history in goals by a Blues defenseman behind Al MacInnis (127), Alex Pietrangelo (109) and Chris Pronger (84). He moved out of a tie with Jeff Brown (80).
Nick Foligno, Michael McCarron and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild.
Joel Hofer made 28 saves in the win for the Blues. Filip Gustavsson made 16 saves for the Wild.
The Philadelphia Flyers are heading back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are set for a testy matchup with the bitter rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
Heading into Monday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers were set up nicely for a win-and-in scenario, and they needed every last minute to pull it off.
Matvei Michkov helped the Flyers erase a 2-0 deficit in the second period, and Porter Martone set up Trevor Zegras for the game-tying tuck minutes later.
Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake hit the post in overtime, but the Flyers' resolve was strong enough to hang on and survive through the shootout, as they've done time and time again this season.
Forward Tyson Foerster, whose season was supposed to be over, continued his fight and buried a shot past Brandon Bussi to score the only goal of the shootout.
Goalie Dan Vladar stoned defenseman Alex Nikishin at the other end to send the Flyers to the playoffs.
Now, the Flyers are set for a grudge match with the Penguins, the franchise with which Rick Tocchet coached for two Stanley Cup runs.
Of course, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are still around kicking all these years later.
"These guys, they don't die. These guys are just warriors," Tocchet said of his former players after the Flyers' win Monday night.
"We're gonna have our hands full, and we're gonna have to do some game-planning here this week. But those guys don't die. It's gonna be a tough series and we're gonna have to go after those guys."
Those Penguins had a very similar season to the Flyers, going 41-24-16 through 81 games to this point.
"Good team over there, lots of experienced players," Michkov said. "We're not playing hockey for the first year, either. It's my first time playing in the NHL playoffs, so I'll give all my best to it."
The Flyers last played the Penguins back on March 7, when Alex Bump scored his first NHL goal on an assist from Nikita Grebenkin. Ultimately, the Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout.
The Flyers and Penguins split their season series 2-2, with both Philadelphia wins coming in the shootout.
Those who sign up for priority access will have the ability to purchase playoff tickets before the general public.
